More on Howry, Renteria

I’m getting strong vibes the Giants might announce a deal with shortstop Edgar Renteria tomorrow. It would be a two-year deal, and my friend Jerry Crasnick at ESPN.com says it would total about $18 million. If so, props to WFAN, the New York radio station that reported a week ago that the Giants and Renteria had reached a deal just like that.

This is how the Giants will spin Renteria: He is a short-term bridge between Omar Vizquel and prospects such as Manny Burriss and Nick Noonan. I actually believe they would have preferred Rafael Furcal, who is younger and a better player at this point. But Furcal wants four years coming off back surgery.

Renteria is coming off a horrible year in Detroit (.270/.317/.382), but check out his numbers in the NL versus as the AL, even as recently as two seasons ago. Maybe he just likes this league more.

—–

A few notes on the Bobby Howry signing:

Like Jeremy Affeldt, Howry has closed games, although not in nearly 10 years. Still, GM Brian Sabean likes the pair’s experience in the ninth inning as a fallback.

“It’s always good to have a safety net,” Sabean said. “Wilson can’t be ready to close every game. To have somebody else who’s done it is going to make a manager feel better, I would hope. Willy’s our closer, but on given day if somebody else has to pitch in the ninth inning, so be it. We’re prepared to do it.”

Scott Eyre, a bullpen-mate of Howry with the Cubs last year, likes the signing. Seems like Howry is the anti-Eyre. In other words, he doesn’t talk much.

Said Eyre: “I guarantee you, you’ll see him at his locker every day. Either he’ll have his elbows on his knees hunched forward playing his PlayStation Portable or he’ll be leaning back in his chair playing his PSP. And you’ll see him in the weight room. He works out hard.”

In addition to his $2.75 million salary, Howry has $500,000 in easily reachable incentives.

—–

Funny thing about the CC Sabathia saga: I still can’t get anybody to tell me the Giants are definitely out.

The New York Post had an interesting story today saying Sabathia’s wife wants him to pitch for the Giants. If that is true, it could be a funny twist to an old story for the Giants.

They twice tried to sign Greg Maddux as a free agent after he left the Braves. According to my sources, Maddux really wanted to pick the Giants over the Cubs in 2004, and they actually offered a competitive contract. But the sources said Maddux’s wife didn’t like San Francisco, so back to Chicago he went.